Associate, Investment Operations

Ares is looking for an Associate to join the Los Angeles or New York based Investment Operations team. This role reports to the Investment Operations - Reconciliation Team. The candidate will independently own assigned cash, par, and non-custody reconciliation processes, resolve operational exceptions, perform root-cause analysis, and coordinate with internal teams and external service providers. The role will also support trend analysis, control enhancement, management reporting, and implementation of process improvements. The ideal candidate is an accountable self-starter who combines disciplined execution, critical thinking, and a solution-oriented mindset.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

·   Own assigned daily cash, par, and non-custody reconciliations across funds and portfolios, ensuring exceptions are investigated, documented, escalated, and resolved within established timelines.

·   Proactively research and resolve discrepancies with custodian banks, paying agents, third-party administrators, and internal stakeholders.

·   Perform root-cause analysis across transactions, positions, cash activity, income, fees, corporate actions, accounting treatment, and reference data.

·   Review administrator and service-provider responses for completeness and challenge unresolved or unsupported differences appropriately.

·   Monitor aged and recurring exceptions, communicate clear resolution plans, and escalate material risks or delays with supporting analysis.

·   Prepare and analyze daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly KPIs covering break volumes, aging, root causes, service-provider responsiveness, and control effectiveness.

·   Maintain a high standard of quality controls, procedures, exception inventories, escalation records, and audit-ready documentation.

·   Support internal and external audits, regulatory inquiries, operational risk reviews, and control-testing activities.

·   Identify recurring issues and recommend sustainable solutions that address upstream causes and reduce manual intervention.

·   Contribute to automation, workflow redesign, data-quality improvements, reporting enhancements, system implementations, migrations, and new portfolio or fund launches.

·   Provide day-to-day guidance and knowledge-sharing to Analysts while promoting consistent execution and documentation standards.

·   Partner with Portfolio Management, Fund Administration, Treasury, Finance, Technology, Operations, custodians, agent banks, and other service providers to improve end-to-end workflows.

QUALIFICATIONS

·   Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field.

·   3-6 years of relevant investment management operations experience, with emphasis on reconciliation, fund accounting, middle office, custody, or related functions.